Study Confirms Medical Marijuana For Chronic Conditions Does Not Harm Cognitive Abilities

Medical marijuana prescribed for chronic conditions does not negatively impact cognitive function, according to a new Australian study, recently published in the journal CNS Drugs. Results from the research, conducted by scientists at Swinburne University of Technology's Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, are consistent with two systematic reviews published in the last year, writes HempGazette. 

“We already know that non-medical cannabis can impact memory and attention. However, our findings show that patients prescribed medical cannabis by a doctor don’t experience the same effects,” said Dr. Thomas Arkell, the lead researcher and a psychopharmacologist with a focus on substances and their impact on brain and human behavior. 

Arkell, who also also chairs the Cannabis and Driving working group through the International Council for Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (ICADTS), added the results “could indicate that patients develop tolerance over time, akin to what we see with other psychoactive medications like antidepressants and benzodiazepines. It could also mean that patients experience some alleviation of their symptoms, such as pain, after using medical cannabis, which might lead to a normalization of cognitive function.”

Study Highlights 

The research involved 40 patients who were prescribed various medical marijuana products with THC. Upon arrival at the clinical research unit, participants completed a baseline cognitive assessment constituting of a range of Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) from Cambridge Cognition, England tasks and the Druid, Impairment Science Inc. tasks and a subjective drug effect questionnaire. 

The CANTAB test battery consisted of the following six tests: 1) multitasking test; 2) pattern recognition memory; 3) reaction time; 4) rapid visual information processing; 5) spatial span and 6) spatial working memory. 

These tests were repeated several times at various hours after medical marijuana treatments, while participants also provided blood and oral fluid samples measuring the levels of THC. 

The results showed minimal acute impact on cognitive function. 

Their research hilighted that these results can not be generalized to recreational cannabis or non-prescribed medical marijuana use, 

“This is only a small study and further research is needed. However, these findings have real implications for the many thousands of Australians who are now prescribed medical cannabis to manage a chronic health condition,” Dr. Arkell concluded.

See Also: Cannabis And Memory: Uncovering The Intricate Connection And CBD's Surprising Role

Photo: Benzinga edit with images by Olav Ahrens Røtne on Unsplash and nneem from Pixabay